Good morning!  Thank you for continuing to read my Self Help Tips Blog.  Today I would like to discuss a topic that I have received a lot of questions about: choosing the best fitness center

Joining a fitness center is a big decision, mainly because of the cost involved. If you are like most people, you want to get the best value for your money. A lot of fitness centers will want you to sign contracts. These contracts may be very hard to get out of, so it is important that you are happy with the fitness center that you choose. The information below will give you a few tips that you can use to choose the best fitness center for you.

The first thing to consider is the types of workouts that you want to do. Do you want to swim, do aerobics, weight train or have access to classes like Karate or Pilates? Once you decide on the type of workouts that you want, the next step is to shop around. Do some research. Compare the fitness centers in your area and weight the options that are available to you. The following is a list of things to consider when choosing a fitness center.

1. Check the overall cleanliness of the equipment and the exercise areas. Ask the staff about the measures taken to disinfect equipment between use. Diseases and fungal infections can be spread very easily on poorly-disinfected surfaces.

2. How far is the fitness center from your home and your workplace? If it is all the way across town, what are the odds that you will go on a regular basis?

3. Take a tour of the facility during the times that you are likely to use it yourself. This will give you a good idea of the crowd that will be there.

4. Most places will give you a free pass to try out the facility. Take advantage of this and talk with the other members to get their feedback.

5. Check with your employer to see if you can receive a discount to a fitness center. Occasionally, health insurance companies will also provide a discount.

6. Another important point that I can not stress enough: know exactly what is in your contract before you sign it! Read it carefully and if you do not understand something, have someone on staff explain it to you.  Neglecting to do so can be a costly mistake.

You may have asked yourself  "What are the benefits of joining a fitness center compared to just working out at home?” A fitness center will give you access to many different types of exercise equipment and will have professionals on hand to help you use it. There are also a variety of exercise programs that you can join for a more structured weight loss plan. A very important thing to remember is if you are paying for something, you are more likely to use it. Joining with a friend can be an even greater motivator. It is always more fun to workout with someone else, rather than by yourself.

The decision to join a fitness center is totally up to you. However, if you are serious about wanting to get in shape and lose weight, it can be one of the best decisions you will ever make.  Your health is your greatest asset and is worth whatever amount of money you are able and willing to throw at it.  Along with a healthy diet, a gym membership can lead to a longer, healthier and happier life.

Hello!  It’s Jeff from the Self Help Tips Blog, wishing you the best best of luck in these troubling times.  Today I would like to discuss the consequences of smoking cigarettes.

You initially become addicted to cigarettes because of the fast action of nicotine on the pleasure centers of your brain. When you puff on a cigarette, the nicotine in your lungs enters your blood stream within 15 to 20 seconds and begins to work on your brain.

Once in your brain, nicotine binds to receptors that are intended for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This binding action causes a change in the cell walls that allow calcium and sodium ions to enter the cell. After that, a number of additional brain neurotransmitters are released.

These neurotransmitters affect your mood and behavior. The neurotransmitter dopamine affects the reward center that causes feelings of pleasure and enjoyment. Serotonin helps moderate your mood and controls your appetite. GABA produces a calming effect that reduces anxiety.

Smoking is a means of artificially spiking the acetylcholine system which results in feelings of pleasure, calmness and a moderation of your mood. Because of these positive effects and the speed with which they are associated with nicotine intake (taking a puff), smoking is highly addictive.

As an occasional or social smoker, you may begin to use cigarettes as a means of coping with life’s daily stresses. You switch from social smoking to daily smoking. Once you begin smoking several cigarettes a day, nicotine is constantly stimulating your brain, 24 hours a day. Over time, you will become psychologically addicted to the positive effects of nicotine.

Over a period of several years, a transition begins to take place in the addiction mechanism.

Your brain adapts to the frequent presence of nicotine. Your brain physically changes by increasing the nicotine receptor concentration. This requires more nicotine for your brain to function properly. In other words, your brain now becomes dependent on nicotine for normal functions. This adaptation produces a tolerance for nicotine.

When your brain is unable to get the required amount of nicotine, you experience withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms include irritability, restlessness, difficulty in getting along with family and friends, sleeplessness, anxiety, depression, hunger, difficulty concentrating and lethargy.

Half of the nicotine in your body is metabolized and broken down every 2 hours. As your nicotine level declines, the withdrawal symptoms set in. The only way to relieve the withdrawal symptoms is with another dose of nicotine. You now smoke, not for pleasure, but to eliminate withdrawal symptoms.

As an addicted cigarette smoker, you often need your first dose of nicotine as soon as possible in the morning. Many smokers take their first puffs within 5 minutes of awakening.

Throughout the day, you need additional doses of nicotine every couple of hours. You are often willing to leave the comfort of a smoke-free environment to stand in the freezing cold, rain, or sweltering heat to get your next dose of nicotine. You are definitely in the second stage of nicotine addiction and it only gets worse from here.

Overall, your smoking addiction started out as a psychological addiction to the positive effects of nicotine on your brain. However, once the brain adapts to nicotine your smoking addiction winds up as a means of preventing the negative effects of withdrawal symptoms.  Stop smoking today. Do it for your friends, family and most importantly: yourself.  Otherwise, you’ll end up becoming a slave to tobacco companies or worse…

Good afternoon!  Thank you for reading the Self Help Tips Blog.  Today I would like to take a look at the most important part of the human diet: Water.

It has been estimated that our bodies consist of over 600 trillion cells, each one containing seventy percent water. Now, without getting into a lot of medical mumbo jumbo, the basic fact is that nature never does anything without a reason. Water is all around us for a reason, and that reason is to keep us healthy. It is now an undisputed fact that the quantity and quality of our water intake is one of the major contributors to how we feel and to the functioning of the control center, our brain.

Dead Cells and Toxins

Dead cells and toxins must be flushed from the body or they will accumulate and cause disease. Place a rotten fish in a refrigerator and it will contaminate all of the other food. This is exactly what happens when your body fails to cleanse itself of debris and toxins; it becomes contaminated and disease sets in. Your body relies on you to provide it with water in order to flush this debris out. Not alcohol, not soft drinks, not tea or coffee, not milk… water. Put dirty fuel in your car and it will misfire, cough and splutter. Drink anything except pristine water and chances are you will do much the same. There never has been or ever will be a better substance for internal cleansing than pure water.

The Immune System

The power of the immune system is located in the blood, where protection is found from foreign pathogens (an agent that causes disease, especially a living micro-organism such as bacterium or fungi). Antibodies within the blood search out and destroy these pathogens, which are attached to organisms within the body. When blood (which is ninety percent water) becomes contaminated with toxins, the antibodies become sluggish and unable to function properly. By providing our bodies with the best possible water, we enhance its ability to heal and repair. Modern medicine can indeed cure us of many ailments, however quite often it can only be a "quick fix." If the antibodies cannot do their job properly, it is only a matter of time until another disease strikes.

How Much Water Do We Need?

Your lungs expel between two and four cups of water per day, another two to four cups are expelled through perspiration (not including exercise-induced perspiration) and on average another six cups when you go to the restroom. Your body  needs a minimum of two liters of water per day. To some this may seem to be an impossible task, however, taken in small quantities throughout the day, it is not hard at all.

Although water which is purified through reverse-osmosis is best, your reglar tap water is better than nothing.  If you can’t tollerate the taste of your tap water, try adding a small lemon wedge to each glass.  Regardless of your water source, get into the habit of drinking at least 8 glasses of water each and every day.

Good evening!  Thank you for reading my Self Help Tips Blog.  Tonight I would like to discuss several different types of massage therapy and how they can help you relax and relieve pain and stress.

The healing power of human touch is a positive experience that many people enjoy through therapeutic massage or bodywork. The effects of a good massage go much deeper than the skin’s surface. Massage can:

1) Help improve circulation of the blood and lower blood pressure.

2) Act as a detoxification system by propelling toxic waste products through the lymphatic system.

3) Help to improve muscle tone and prevent muscular atrophy resulting from inactivity or illness.

4) Reduce emotional stress and promote a sense of well-being.

How can something as simple as this hands-on therapy have so many positive benefits? A tense or painful muscle is one which is often chronically contracted. In an acute situation such as recent injury, the muscle can be in actual spasm. This contraction or spasm decreases the flow of blood to the muscle, which leads to a decrease in the nutrient and oxygen supply to the cells of the muscle and related nerves. A chronically contracted muscle will build up lactic acid, which is a sign of fatigue. This oxygen shortage and lactic acid buildup irritates the nerve cells, which perpetuates the contracted muscles. Massage can help remove the lactic acid and other metabolic waste products from the cells and reverse this process, interrupting the vicious cycle of pain-spasm-pain.

There are a multitude of massage styles which are beneficial, depending upon the individual’s needs and preferences. They include:

Swedish Massage: this is the basic "relaxation" style of bodywork, which uses long strokes, squeezing and kneading. The Swedish practitioner helps to improve circulation by working to loosen or relax the superficial layers of muscle. This type of massage is particularly useful for muscles which are already sore from stress or a tough workout, as it is often more gentle than other techniques.

Sports Massage: this form of massage works on a deeper level of musculature or connective tissue. This style fits more with the "no pain, no gain" philosophy. The therapist uses slow, hard strokes and deep, sustained finger pressure to work deeply into the contracted muscles, fascia and tendons. This technique increases flexibility, encourages muscles to work at their fullest capacity and speeds up the healing process by reducing swelling following an injury. It is especially indicated for athletes and "week-end warriors" who suffer from tight or sore muscles.

Shiatsu and Acupressure: rather than being simply relaxing, this form of bodywork tends to be invigorating. Fingers, thumbs, fists and elbows are used to apply pressure to points along acupuncture meridians, which are believed to be the energy pathways of the body. The focus of this type of therapy is on relieving blocks in the pathways and rebalancing the flow of energy.

Reflexology and Zone Therapy: reflexology works on the assumption that parts of the feet (as well as parts of the ears and hands) correspond to other parts of the body’s anatomy. In other words, stress or illness in a certain part of the body may show up as a painful or sensitive area on a specific area of the foot. Reflexologists apply pressure to the side, top or bottom of the feet to help reduce dysfunction in other parts of the body.

Not all techniques work for everyone, so make sure to inquire about the philosophy and style of the massage therapist that you work with. If your massage isn’t as satisfying as you had hoped, don’t give up. Try another therapist! Massage therapy schools are a cost-effective way to test out different styles of massage; senior students generally work for lower fees while they complete their internship.

There are a few conditions in which massage would not be a good option, such as marked inflammation, fever, significant swelling or very severe pain. However, for the garden variety aches and pains that most of us experience as well as for the general stresses of life, massage is an outstanding way to treat ourselves to a positive, revitalizing experience.